as in seducing
to influence someone with a bribe
meat inspectors were bribed, and the contaminated beef was sold to the public
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Recent Examples of bribing
And after CLEAResult fired Darlington in 2017, the brothers began bribing CLEAResult employee Peter Marra — sending him cash and gift cards for special favors like getting heads-ups on inspections and audits.
—
Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
Asha was bribing people to use a scale!
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Apr. 2026
Trump in February 2025 issued an executive order pausing new investigations under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits citizens and companies from bribing foreign entities to advance their business interests.
—Ken B. Morales, ProPublica, 31 Mar. 2026
Saudi Arabia may still be able to get its tankers through the Red Sea by bribing the Houthis, Axios reports.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
Two executives of a large utility, FirstEnergy, are now on trial for allegedly bribing Randazzo, who died by suicide after his own indictment.
—Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Smartmatic's parent company was charged in a Florida federal court in October with conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by bribing a Philippine government official to get business, and with conspiring to launder money.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
John Herzog, a contractor for an unnamed wine supplier, pleaded guilty last year to bribing Briones and buyers from other retail chains with items such as a $2,000 exercise bike.
—Aldo Toledo, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Mar. 2026
Smith and other fixers are accused of recruiting and bribing players to underperform in games so that their team failed to cover spreads.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 9 Mar. 2026
Rick Sobey, Boston Herald, 4 Apr. 2026
Asha was bribing people to use a scale!
—Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Apr. 2026
Trump in February 2025 issued an executive order pausing new investigations under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which prohibits citizens and companies from bribing foreign entities to advance their business interests.
—Ken B. Morales, ProPublica, 31 Mar. 2026
Saudi Arabia may still be able to get its tankers through the Red Sea by bribing the Houthis, Axios reports.
—Jim Edwards, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2026
Two executives of a large utility, FirstEnergy, are now on trial for allegedly bribing Randazzo, who died by suicide after his own indictment.
—Chicago Tribune, 17 Mar. 2026
Smartmatic's parent company was charged in a Florida federal court in October with conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by bribing a Philippine government official to get business, and with conspiring to launder money.
—Aysha Bagchi, USA Today, 10 Mar. 2026
John Herzog, a contractor for an unnamed wine supplier, pleaded guilty last year to bribing Briones and buyers from other retail chains with items such as a $2,000 exercise bike.
—Aldo Toledo, San Francisco Chronicle, 9 Mar. 2026
Smith and other fixers are accused of recruiting and bribing players to underperform in games so that their team failed to cover spreads.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 9 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bribing
Verb
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On the left, he’s heralded as the only voice capable of seducing young men disaffected by party politics.—
Abigail Sylvor Greenberg,
Vanity Fair,
20 Mar. 2026
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One of her alternate personalities — the cold and calculating Samantha — joins law enforcement to pursue her father’s killers, while other identities begin to surface with their own motives, seducing and manipulating powerful men as Sylvia’s search for justice veers into vengeance.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While Kerbal incorporates a lot of advanced concepts that real-world astronauts actually grapple with, it's also delivered in a goofy, approachable shell (the eponymous Kerbals are closer to Minions than real people) that's been key to luring in newcomers.—
Alan Bradley,
Space.com,
9 Apr. 2026
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Her model for all this, incredibly, is the Biblical heroine Jael, famous for luring the Canaanite commander Sisera to her tent, plying him with milk curds, and driving a tent peg through his temple.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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This one was done by McCartney and Watt over in England, on a four-track machine that the star rescued from Abbey Road, buying it at a time when Thorn Electrical had taken over the studio and was cavalierly selling off the classic equipment and instruments, to his great chagrin.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2026
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Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust’s portfolio.—
Paulina Likos,
CNBC,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Flock has become increasingly controversial, with communities across the country persuading their local governments to cancel their contracts, though the number is still dwarfed by how many cities renew their agreements with Flock every year.—
Kevin Collier,
NBC news,
15 Apr. 2026
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Often, threats of family separation work hand in hand with medical neglect, Juburi told me, persuading families to accept deportation.—
Sarah Stillman,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
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An early discussion about social contracts comes down to us in Plato’s dialogue Crito in which Socrates, condemned to death for allegedly corrupting the youth, refused an offer to escape from prison.—
George G. Szpiro,
Big Think,
9 Apr. 2026
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Meanwhile, the Pima County Sheriff Office investigating Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance is facing troubles of its own, as a former sheriff has accused current leadership of ‘corrupting’ the crime scene, and a deputy has been arrested and fired on a kidnapping charge.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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People tend to find that enticing, but nothing works that quickly, completely and simply.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
11 Apr. 2026
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Florida has been enticing companies in recent years to consider the state not just for launching their space hardware, but for building it.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
8 Apr. 2026
Verb
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For myself, having a Wrangler is the perfect vehicle to just drive these desolate roads.—
Morgan Korn,
ABC News,
17 Apr. 2026
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Start by having one of these conversations with your partner.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Protesters, however, say that HERC, which neighbors Target Field near the North Loop neighborhood, is responsible for essentially poisoning people who live nearby.—
Conor Wight,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
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In the Middle Ages, local churchgoers whispered of clannish Jews poisoning wells to kill Christian children and steal their blood for their rituals.—
Mike Rothschild,
Big Think,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Bribing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bribing. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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